In Honor Of Steve Jobs’ Resignation, We Pick The Best Songs From Apple Ads

Posted 08/25/2011 1:22:29 pm
by MTV News.

By Ali Semigran

In the wake of the news that Steve Jobs has stepped down from his position as CEO at Apple, it’s difficult to truly measure just how much he has influenced and changed all of our lives. Between MacBooks and iPods and iPhones and iPads and the phrase “There’s an app for that,” the world would have been a very different place without Jobs and what he did during his 35 years as Apple co-founder.

In honor of his resignation from the technology behemoth (there’s no official reason or explanation as to why Jobs opted to leave yet) we wanted to pay homage to another great thing Jobs provided us with: A soundtrack. And we don’t just mean the play lists we’ve all created on our iTunes accounts!

We’re talking about the killer songs that were used in Apple ads that had us bobbing our heads, tapping our toes, singing along to the television and finding new, exciting artists in addition to some of our old favorites (not to mention, getting tempted into buying all the products that were being advertised). Here now are our top five favorite songs that were featured in Apple commercials. We dedicate this one to you, Steve!

“Shut Up and Let Me Go,” The Ting Tings
Apple ads became synonymous with shadow figures listening to their iPods and dancing along to an irresistible tune. Of course, there may have been none better than when the Ting Tings got everyone –from the actors in the ads to people watching at home – shaking it with their infectious “Shut Up and Let Me Go.”

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“Technologic,” Daft Punk
Is there a better anthem for Apple than this one? A company on the front line of technological advancements and breakthroughs makes a commercial featuring Daft Punk’s dance-ready “Technologic.” You couldn’t have asked for a better mash-up! The commercial has some of the best Apple commercial sing-a-long moments and far and away the best dancing sequences. It’s 31 sheer bliss seconds of life in the 21st century.

“Dance Tonight,” Paul McCartney
Apple has always shown love to The Beatles, so it was no surprise that living legend Paul McCartney got his own catchy ad in 2007. The joyous “Dance Tonight,” which finds McCartney, ukulele in hand, happily strolling down a colorful, animated street, singing that everybody’s going to dance around, “Everybody’s gonna feel all right.” Indeed, Sir Paul.

“1234,” Feist
Feist’s “1234” was a little song that went a long way in 2007, much like the iPod Video Nano was a small device that did big things for Apple. So it was only fitting that the whimsical tune was used in an ad to promote the product. In the 30-second clip, it shows the Nano playing the singer’s equally wonderful video. How many times did we listen to that Feist single on our iPods because of that commercial? Let us count the ways.

“Vertigo,” U2
“Uno, dos, tres, catorce!” Feist wasn’t the only one who turned out one heck of a musical number (or, in this case, number music) for Apple. In the U2 ad, the band gets the iPod commercial makeover, as a spectrum of colors serve as a background for the Apple dancers and the rock band as they play their 2004 hit. Clocking in at two minutes, it’s Apple’s longest – and arguably – most enjoyable spot. No need to remind us to “Turn it up there, Captain,” Bono. We’re way ahead of you.

What was your favorite Apple ad? Did yours make the list? Or did you love Eminem’s or Coldplay’s or Gorrilaz’s commercials more? Share in the comments section below and on Twitter!